awesolow

ya its grad school...and how good are the schools relative to the george washingtons, georgetown, tufts etc etc? are they completely lower tiered or are they still relatively decent? i ask mostly because my gpa wasnt exactly stellar but i still want to go to a somewhat reputable school with a reputable IR program...what are all your thoughts, if any?

thanks again!

UCLAri

What's not stellar?

awesolow

my grade point average...it was just a 3.0...but i have yet to take the GRE...i probably will this summer because i want to apply next january for the fall of 2008

UCLAri

awesolow,

You're not necessarily relegated to lower-tier IR programs. Good work experience can more than make up for that, along with a good GRE score.

valuable1212

I am a little bit confused as to what I should do. I am currently pursuing a major in Spanish Language and Literature. I found out yesterday, I can fill all the requirements at my school, while studying abroad for a full year, and be an International Relations/Global Studies, Spanish double major. Yet, from what I read, having an IR major undergrad isn't absolutely necessary to get a masters in International Relations. I go to Hendrix College ( a very small liberal arts college in Arkansas). The IR major is really just a mix of history courses (usually focused on one area), two econ courses, a cultural studies course, environmental course (i.e. environmental economics), and foreign language requirement. There are no courses specific to IR except the Senior Thesis class for IR majors. Everything else is a mix of other courses in other majors. Would I be better off just sticking with the Spanish major, and instead of taking all of the requirement courses for the IR major, just take a mix of courses that graduate schools may like...such as one or two upper level econ classes, business law, etc. or does having the major look better and more put together in the eyes of a graduate school. Some say a degree in a language alone looks weak. I just returned from Bulgaria, and I am hoping that ISEP will place me there abroad for the fall semester, and Spain for the second. The American University there is ranked for poly sci and IR type courses, especially circulating around European Law, EU Terminology, etc. Are there any IR masters programs focused on Eastern Europe that are well known? I really would like to live there one day, and the need for educated English speakers is great. I really have no idea what I want to do. I just know that I want to live outside of America and work translating, teaching English on the side, or working for the EU, etc. Any advice?

UCLAri

Not one program is necessarily focused on Eastern Europe, but because of the traditional focus on the region, you're fine at any of the big names (SAIS, SIPA, KSG, etc.)

switch7

hey...
i'm applying to liberal arts colleges and i've chosen IR or political science as majors.
do you know which colleges are the best for these programs?

samantha444

does anyone know if northwestern's international studies program is any good? (perhaps paired with poli sci?)

thanks

Groenveld9

hi,
i want to study IR, IS or Poli Sci and i am having trouble looking for good schools and if you could help me out that would be great.
My GPA is 3.0 - 3.5 and my SAT was 1800

i have already been looking at:
Middlebury, Duke, Brown, Georgetown, George Washington, Vanderbilt, Emory, Tufts, UCLA, USC, UM Ann Arbor, UC Berkeley, UW Madison, UT Austin and Texas A&M as a safety. I am looking for a school with a great one of the programmes above but that i can also have a good time.
Any remarks, comments and additions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

valuable1212

any insight on the london school of economics and political science?
what international schools could I apply to for a masters in IR that have strong programs? I would like to get my degree in Europe, Eastern Europe, anywhere....I am primarily interested in getting a job using Spanish and Bulgarian...I would like to find some sort of school where I can focus primarily on Europe.


Also will it kill me if i dont have internship experience applying to grad school?

I dont think I will have time over any of my summers because I am going to work full time this summer to make money for my full year abroad next year (upcoming august), and since the calendars are different, I wont be back until late June of the summer 2008 which means I wont have enough time to start an internship when most people are required to (late may-july/aug). I have great grades, I will have a year abroad under my belt, and I have been involved at my school. I am not a Political Science, History, Econ, or IR major. I am a Spanish major and I am going to take a bunch of random IR type classes (micro, macro, histories, etc.) and hope that an IR school will accept me....Do I stand a chance?

lolabelle

L'Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris, also known as "Sciences Po Paris" is probably the best polisci/IR school on the European continent.

Of course, you have to speak French, but that may be changing now as they are trying to become a more internationally-oriented university. As a result, many major courses are taught in English, German, Spanish, etc. Look into it.

cheers

I have a few friends in the Foreign Service. One was a 20 year navy vet who had numerous overseas posting in his CV. He retired at 41 and took the exam. Vets are given preference over civilians, I believe. Twelve years later, he is on his third country posting for the US FS--the sum of which appear to be CIA related. He is unable to say what he really does at these embassies. At the end of a three or four year posting, he gets a list of countries to choose from.

He has been married for 20 years. He has a foreign wife and two kids.

caliboi1313

how is USC's international relations program-i have an uncle who worked for the CIA/DIA...he said they love schools near washington DC, but west coast schools such as UCLA/USC/stanford are all looked highly upon as well.

UCLAri

The best professional IR program in California is IR/PS. After that, it's hard to say. There aren't many IR programs in California to begin with. Monterey is good, but I rarely see USC as one of the big IR players.

What you can get at UCLA and Berkeley are development or IR through poli sci degrees. Stanford has an IR degree, but only a BA.

USC's program is good, but it has a tough competitor in San Diego.

BIGTWIX

im not sure
but i think USC undergrad international business is supposed to be really good.
not positive though so dont take my word for it.

UCSD's is great

umm
and i would assume UCB has a pretty good one too(or at least for asian relations programs) but im not sure.
Just assuming